Notre Dame Football: Xavier Watts add dynamic playmaker at wide receiver

Notre Dame football added another 2020 recruit in Xavier Watts, an elite, playmaking wide receiver from Omaha, Nebraska.

A 2020 wide receiver, Xavier Watts out of Burke High School in Omaha, Nebraska, has committed to Notre Dame football.

The majority of the Irish staff want him at receiver, but he also has the ability to play on defense, where some programs like him as well. Watts has been to campus multiple times and was last in South Bend mid-June for his official visit.

Everything that he wanted out of the visit, he got and more. I think once that visit wrapped up, he was going to be hard to sway away from the Irish. The hometown school in Nebraska would have been the easy choice, but I think he wanted to create his own path and wants the more challenging route.

Yes, it must of been extremely difficult to say no to Nebraska, but the opportunity in South Bend was just too much to pass up. He finally made it official public today.

Watts is a great fit for what Notre Dame has to offer and I think that was a big factor in his tough decision as well. At the moment Watts holds 15 offers, including those from the likes of Nebraska, Michigan, and Tennessee.

What will Watts bring to South Bend?

Xavier Watts is dynamic with the ball in his hands. He’s a really good deep threat option, but he also will make you pay in the short game when he catches in stride. If he gets a ball in open space, watch out. He has moves like a running back and can really be a game-changer. He also isn’t going to shy away from fighting for jump balls and he usually puts himself in positions to always come away with the catch.

On film, I also like seeing that he isn’t afraid to get dirty and come up with big blocks on the outside. He just seems like a natural and he’s the exact type of athlete that you look for at the position.

Like I mentioned, he has the ability to play on the back end of the defense, and I’d say that’s mainly because of his makeup speed, quickness and change of direction, which is easily translated over to wideout.

When he gets to campus, the Irish will definitely start him as a wide receiver, but don’t be surprised if he gets a look down the road at safety. His overall upside is very high and if he continues to work on his technique and learns the playbook fast, he could be a major impact on the field for Notre Dame sooner rather than later.